⚪Archive vs. Backup

Archive vs. Backup

Data Archiving vs Data Backup – Comparison Table

Aspect	Data Archiving	Data Backup
Primary Purpose	Long-term retention of data no longer in active use but still valuable for future reference, verification, or regulatory compliance.	Short- to medium-term recovery to restore data after loss, corruption, or disaster and ensure operational/business continuity.
Typical Frequency	Infrequent, based on data age, inactivity, or project milestones (e.g., end of data collection or project phase).	Regular and scheduled – often daily, weekly, or monthly – to capture the latest data changes.
Accessibility	Stored in slower, cost-efficient, or offline systems; not intended for immediate access.	Stored on fast-access systems to enable quick recovery when needed.
Data Lifespan	Retained indefinitely or per institutional/funder policy until reviewed for deletion.	Limited lifespan, governed by backup retention policies; older backups may be deleted or overwritten by new ones.
Storage Medium	Long-term, cost-effective solutions (e.g., tape libraries, ERDA archival tiers, national research data vaults).	Fast, high-availability storage (e.g., hard drives, SSD arrays, dedicated backup appliances, or cloud backup services).
Use Case	Supports long-term preservation and regulatory compliance for inactive research data aligned with UCPH, reNEW, and EU funder retention requirements.	Provides rapid data recovery to protect against short-term data loss events such as accidental deletion, corruption, or system failures.
Key Benefit	Ensures verifiable, reusable, and compliant long-term storage for research data.	Maintains business/research continuity by allowing quick restoration of recent data.

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Summary:

• Backups protect against immediate or short-term data loss but are not a substitute for long-term preservation.

• Archiving ensures sustainable, compliant, and cost-effective long-term storage of inactive yet valuable research data, as expected under UCPH policies and EU funder mandates (e.g., Horizon Europe, ERC).